Piracy paranoia is creating a trend of ridiculous extreme measures that don't really save companies money and only serve to inconvenience gamers.

This isn't a pro-piracy thread. I'm talking about the kind of anti-piracy measures that give legitimate consumers something to complain about. I've named a few examples, but you don't need to read them.

Loungin', what anti-piracy measures do you have a beef with, and why?

Spoiler:Battlefield 2 Expansions

Highlight this box with your cursor to read the spoiler text.In order to install the Battlefield 2 expansions, you have to go online to your EA account and "entitle" the account to play with the booster packs by registering the CD key. Who's going to know to do that? Sure it says so in the instructions, but no computer gamer reads installation instructions, because installing has been the same for over a decade. And "entitle" they say? Well I say "entitlement" starts as soon as you hand money to the cashier, and not a moment later. Why couldn't they do it like Blizzard's Warcraft 3 Frozen Throne expansion? Just let people play, and bar them from online play if they used a fake key. Works like a charm.

Spoiler: Battlefield 2 Expansions

In order to install the Battlefield 2 expansions, you have to go online to your EA account and "entitle" the account to play with the booster packs by registering the CD key. Who's going to know to do that? Sure it says so in the instructions, but no computer gamer reads installation instructions, because installing has been the same for over a decade. And "entitle" they say? Well I say "entitlement" starts as soon as you hand money to the cashier, and not a moment later. Why couldn't they do it like Blizzard's Warcraft 3 Frozen Throne expansion? Just let people play, and bar them from online play if they used a fake key. Works like a charm.

Spoiler:Starcraft 2

Highlight this box with your cursor to read the spoiler text.Which reminds me of Starcraft 2. Starcraft 2 requires a battle.net account online, and you need to open your browser, log in, and register your game to that account to even play it at all. So it's just like Battlefield 2 expansions, only worse. As I stated earlier, Warcraft 3 solved the problem entirely with Frozen Throne's system of letting you just play, and barring you from multiplayer if you used a fake key. Why on earth did Blizzard change that for Starcraft 2? Don't try to fix something that ain't broke. Sure Single Player would still work for pirates, but the multiplayer is the best part about Blizzard games. Not many would steal a cake without frosting.

Spoiler: Starcraft 2

Which reminds me of Starcraft 2. Starcraft 2 requires a battle.net account online, and you need to open your browser, log in, and register your game to that account to even play it at all. So it's just like Battlefield 2 expansions, only worse. As I stated earlier, Warcraft 3 solved the problem entirely with Frozen Throne's system of letting you just play, and barring you from multiplayer if you used a fake key. Why on earth did Blizzard change that for Starcraft 2? Don't try to fix something that ain't broke. Sure Single Player would still work for pirates, but the multiplayer is the best part about Blizzard games. Not many would steal a cake without frosting.

Spoiler:Ubisoft

Highlight this box with your cursor to read the spoiler text.Then there's Ubisoft. Not letting you even play your game unless you're online. What kind of pathetic anti-piracy measure is that? Games that have a thorough Single Player mode should be required to work without internet. Do these guys seriously think they've created some revolutionary anti-piracy measure? If anything, pirates probably take it as a challenge or a dare. Somebody's probably come up with a crack to avoid the online check by now. And Ubisoft has lost their entire offline fanbase in the process.

Spoiler: Ubisoft

Then there's Ubisoft. Not letting you even play your game unless you're online. What kind of pathetic anti-piracy measure is that? Games that have a thorough Single Player mode should be required to work without internet. Do these guys seriously think they've created some revolutionary anti-piracy measure? If anything, pirates probably take it as a challenge or a dare. Somebody's probably come up with a crack to avoid the online check by now. And Ubisoft has lost their entire offline fanbase in the process.

Spoiler:Micro$oft

Highlight this box with your cursor to read the spoiler text.Registering your DLC. Not just to your account, oh no. They took it a step further, and register your DLC to the freakin' Xbox itself. You can't use that DLC on any other Xbox unless you're online. You can "transfer licenses" to a different Xbox, but they made it so you can only do that once a year. And they can get away with it because apparently, when you're buying DLC, you're only buying the rights to use the DLC, and not the DLC itself. I say if you bought DLC, you OWN it, regardless of what the law says. Micro$oft weasels their way out of giving you full use of your property because of some technicality they just made up.

Spoiler: Micro$oft

Registering your DLC. Not just to your account, oh no. They took it a step further, and register your DLC to the freakin' Xbox itself. You can't use that DLC on any other Xbox unless you're online. You can "transfer licenses" to a different Xbox, but they made it so you can only do that once a year. And they can get away with it because apparently, when you're buying DLC, you're only buying the rights to use the DLC, and not the DLC itself. I say if you bought DLC, you OWN it, regardless of what the law says. Micro$oft weasels their way out of giving you full use of your property because of some technicality they just made up.

I agree with most with SC2, as the fact that you need to be connected in order to play single player is pretty gay... They have a "offline mode", but u need to have connected once before in order to enter offline mode.

For situations like me, where gaming ports are monitored and blocked in my school residence, playing games like SC2 irritate the *bleep* outta me because I can't even connect to bnet just to play single player. Why couldn't blizzard keep sc2 like sc1 ... so gay - -

SC1 may be a bit underboard. Remember, there was no CD key required at all for Brood War. I don't necessarily blame them for requiring a CD key for their expansions like they did with Frozen Throne. I just wish they stuck with that system and didn't go any further. I like the idea of being able to have multiple battle.net accounts. I used to with Warcraft 3.

I've heard some people claim they've been able to go on b.net with cracked keys in Warcraft, but I think it's pretty rare and accidental. Overall most fake keys don't work.